Chapter 29

May 14, 1912

Karl, Fabrizio were looking for any employment opportunities that had opened up, while Jon was driving them around on his days off. Despite Fabrizio wanting to get into construction the first thing companies told him was that he had to have some sort of experience. He knew how to lay down a foundation, but that was it. Karl, meanwhile didn't know what to do. There are so many choices, but which one to pick out? He had been working with Jesse for a short time tearing down European cars in a shop back at his old home in Helsinki. Jesse was excellent with his hands, and could build an engine within a day, then get it running, just like he did back when they were broke down in Finland, in a middle of a snowstorm. It has now been almost a month since the sinking and things began to look up for the two immigrants. Both Fabrizio and Karl, not having any sort of identification as their passports and any identifications are at the bottom of the Atlantic, still managed to become U.S. citizens, with little implications.

Unbeknownst to them, on the one month anniversary of the sinking, a silent film depicting the Titanic's sinking had been released, aptly titled Saved from the Titanic.

…

April 30, 1912

Two weeks after the sinking Fabrizio had boarded a ferry to Ellis Island, after gathering his courage and strength to become an American citizen. His belongings were in one rucksack; clothes, passports, identification papers, had all gone down with the ship. He had a nervous breakdown, trying to figure out how he must prove his identity to the customs officials. Instead, he was greeted by the officials, who knew of the situation, and had quickly processed his new papers before setting him off back on America. When he came back to the house, he told Karl he must do the same, as custom officials were slowly changing their minds and going back to what they were doing prior to the sinking. Karl was just as nervous, but he managed to go to Ellis Island and get his papers processed as well.

…

Now two weeks have passed since the two immigrants have received their papers to be American citizens, despite being without Jack or Jesse. Fabrizio has cried himself to sleep on numerous occasions. What he and Jack have wanted to plan once they entered New York and the two were to go from there. Karl was the same way. He and Jesse had planned to go back into the country, to help run his father's old business, and to possibly fix up the old house there. With infrastructures and cars still in their infancy, the only way to get to their destination is by rail, which can take upwards of a week.

While Fabrizio and Karl attempt to learn something at the house, Jon suggested to them that they could help out with the family's farm back out west, and possibly help his father-in-law run the business, even though Jesse was gone. For the days they spent at the house, not looking for employment, they kept the place tidy and orderly, and busied themselves entertaining Jon's little son Jack. Jon told them they were not allowed to go into Jesse's room, which they promised. Not even to clean the room, or organize the bed. Deep down Fabrizio knew, even if it's a sliver of hope, that Jesse and Jack were both alive, somewhere, and that they were recovering in this large, growing city.

...

May 23, 1912

Another week has passed since they have sent out applications, and have not heard from any of their prospective employers. It was looking a bit grim for both Karl and Fabrizio, when out of nowhere the telephone rang. Fabrizio poked his head in from the kitchen.

"Can you get that?" he asked. He was peeling potatoes for the evening dinner. Karl hoped it was one of their employers as he made his way to the candle-stick telephone. He picked up the two-piece receiver, after moving the couch to get the dirt from there.

"Hello."

Through the crackle of the phone, a person with a deep voice answered on the other end, though it sounded a bit raspy, as if the person hadn't had any water to drink in a while. He tried to clear his throat, before speaking with a slight difficulty. "Hello, is this the Almstead residence?" Karl thought he was hearing things, as that voice almost sounded familiar.

Too familiar.

The person tried coughing again, before speaking. "Hello? Did I get the wrong residence again?" Another cough followed. Karl nearly dropped the receiver. Tears came to his eyes. It felt like forever hearing that voice again. He thought he would never, ever, hear that voice again. Karl tried to hold back his crying, but his voice broke as he spoke into the receiver.

"J-Jesse?"